The Portland daily press., 1887-04-04
PORTLAND AND VICINITY.
Streets choked with Snow-The
Pullman Train Stuck Twelve Hours
Near Brunswick.

The greatest surprise Portland people
have experienced for years was the thick
snow storm and tremendous northeast gale
that prevailed on Saturday. The storm
commenced early in the morning, the snow
falling quite thickly, and the wind blowing
briskly from the east. At $50 a. m. the
storm had assumed the proportions Of a
gale and the wind increased steadily in vio-
lence, until, at 6 p. m, it had obtained q
velocity Of 36 miles an hour, which contin-
ued until p. m, when 1t slackened little,
and at $50 a. m. yesterday entirely ceased.
While the wind has blown with equal velOe-
ity many other times in this vicinity, IL has
never kept up so steady rate as on this oc-
casion, for during the twenty-four hours it
never fell below 28 miles an hour. But the
most remarkable feature was the snow that
accompanied the storm, for fully ten to
twelve inches fell on an average, although
the fierce wind piled II up In places to the
height OF first story windows. The thiekest
snow storm recorded In Portland was that Of
January, 1861, when two men were bewildered
and died in the streets, but the first Of April,
1S43, there were three feet of snow on the
ground, and heavy snow storm. Among
some of the heaviest storms reported
as late as April. are those of April 1, 1881,
the wind blowing 26 miles an hour, and tele-
graph and telephone wires prostrated, and
the wharves badly damaged by the
high tides; April IL, 1881, when the wind
when no vessels left port and the wind at
tanned a velocity Of 38 miles from the north
east, followed on April Sd by another from
the same quarter, the wind blowing "a miles.
and still another on April 10th, when the
wind reached "a miles an hour. During all
this time no vessels left or arrived In port.
On April 8, 1886, a fierce blizzard ragged at
the rate OF 50 miles an hour. During all
these gales tremendous seas were reported
outside, and many marine disasters re-
corded. No snow, however. accompanied
any of these storms.
As the storm of Saturday increased navi-
cation through the streets was difficult.
Umbrellas, when carried, were quickly
wrecked, and the snow under foot was so
soft and slippery that many falls resulted,
but no injuries Of consequence are reported.
The telephone and telegraph wires stood the
brunt OF the storm admirably, and not a
single arc light was extinguished.
IN THE STREETS.
The drifts in the streets Of the city yester-
day were, in places, from eight to ten feet
deep. In the most badly drifted streets,
plows belonging to the Horse Railroad Com
pany were run to break way, but some
places remained impossible for teams. One
of the plows, with ten horses attached, had
to be shoveled out twice in Carroll street,
between Thomas and Vaughan streets.
Doorways in some instances were almost
hidden by the snow. At the side entrance
to st. Stephens church the snow was piled
to the top of the doors.
The horse cars had hard time Saturday.
and were withdrawn early in the evening.
Yesterday the plows were kept constantly In
motion, and the tracks were kept clear of
snow.
Drifts on the shore road at Cape Elizabeth
were fifteen feet deep.
BOSTON AND MAINE.
The Boston and Maine did not have much
difficulty, although the deep snow on the
Eastern division between Scarboro Crossing
and North Berwick and a freight car off the
track between these points, combined to stop
travel on that portion Of the road, all trains
being run on the Western division. Satur-
day afternoon trains from Boston were
about an hour late, as was also the Pullman
due at II O'Clock. Owing TO the detention OF
the Pullman from the east, no train left here
ON the Boston and Maine at 2 o'clock yester-
day morning. The Globe train, which runs
over the Eastern division, arrived here 55
minutes behind time yesterday forenoon,
and the Herald train was 20 minutes late. A
special passenger train left here for Boston
at noon yesterday to accommodate those pas
sengers who had intended to take the Pull
man train at O'Clock.
THE GRAND TRUNK.
The storm on the Grand Trunk did not
extend beyond Gorham, n. H., and trains
were running all right until between 43O
and 5o'clock Saturday afternoon. Then q
freight train found the snow too much for it
between North Yarmouth and Yarmouth,
and stuck in an immense drift. Two en-
gines and gang Of men were despatched to
the assistance Of the blocked train and
worked for three hours, until night COM
PEELED them to leave the work until morning
After three hours Of steady labor, the men
with the assistance of the two locomotives
had succeeded in extricating seven cars,
there being nearly thirty on the train. In
the morning, when work was resumed, the
snow was found drifted to the depth of two
and one-half feet over the floors of the fiat
cars on the train. The storm having cleared.
the whole train was released and traffic was
resumed. The train men said that had the
storm been accompanied by severely cold
weather, they should have periShed in Ii.
The stalled freight train held the Lewiston
passenger trains all night The train from
Portland remained at Yarmouth and the
train bound the other way waited at North
Yarmouth. The officials at Island Pond
where there was no storm, had hard work 10
believe that at the other end Of the division.
the tracks were buried under big snow drifts
and trains were waiting for gangs of men Ia
shovel down to the rails
ON THE MAINE CENTRAL.
The Pullman train from the east due in
Portland at a. m yesterday was stalled nj
Burnham at 10 O'Clock SATURDAY. night and
was not released from the snow DRIFT which
helu IL until $50 yesterday morning. The